Family Oo

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Building A Legacy One Burger And Adoption At A Time
by Kristyn Drysdale
http://www.atlcadoption.com

What was the appeal of Dave Thomas in his own Wendy's
commercials? Was it his angelic-looking face or his
untarnished reputation that made Thomas so appealing to his
us as we watched him broadcast into our homes? Thomas built
his career climbing the ladders of success for years as a
business member of Colonel Sanders and the formerly known
Kentucky Fried Chicken. Eventually, he ventured into his
own restaurant called Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
Restaurant. Thomas' entrepreneurial style shown through his
management approach and he quickly turned a simple hamburger
restaurant into an exceedingly well-known franchise.

An adoptee himself, Dave Thomas became a self-appointed
spokesperson for adoption. In 1990, Dave was asked by
President George Bush to head a national initiative entitled
"Adoption Works-For Everyone" that promoted the adoption of
the approximately 150,000 children in foster care. In 1992,
he created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a
not-for-profit corporation. This foundation has for its
purpose to increase the awareness of adoption and to support
model adoption programs. The vision of this worthwhile and
unique foundation is that "every child will have a permanent
home and a loving family." The main focus of the
foundation is to promote the cause of children in foster
care who are in need of a permanent home. Wendy~s
Restaurant chain remains actively involved in the
foundation.

In the early years of the Foundation, Dave Thomas personally
participated in raising awareness about adopting children
from foster care. His efforts resulted in federal
legislation and corporate policies that provided financial
assistance to families who adopt these children, similar to
benefits that biological parents receive at the birth of a
child. By 1993, the Foundation was awarding grants for
parent recruitment campaigns and the initial grant to the
American Council on Adoptive Children placed 200 children
with adoptive parents. In the same timeframe, the Internet
was used for an innovative pictorial campaign that showcased
children waiting for permanent homes. This site is
administered by the National Adoption Center and has been
the recruiting site for thousands of adoptive parents.

The inspiration that Dave Thomas started while he was living
continues to benefit Wendy's and the Foundation's joint
effort to help spur adoptions. Together, Wendy's and Dave's
Foundation have raised around $20 million and watched local
adoptions gain momentum. One of these generous donations is
the result of the Foundation's sponsored programs about
adoption on the Hallmark Channel. Thanks to these programs,
Hallmark Cards felt inspired to design and market Christmas
ornaments in the concern of motivating adoption. Another
successful way that the Foundation has brought in donations
is through its yearly Wendy's Three-Tour Golf Challenge.
This fundraiser builds about $2 million annually.

An undeniable link exists between Wendy's Restaurant and the
drive to improve adoption. Wendy's workers and franchises
feel this force and are dedicated to incorporate this cause
in their marketing efforts. Thanks to Dave's open and
insightful way of life, there is no denying how magically
non-profit programs and entrepreneurial thinking can inspire
great good.

Dave Thomas, "the patron saint of adoption", may have passed
away on January 8, 2002 but his legacy lives on in his
Foundation and its helpful contributions.

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